The Palestinian Authority has clearly begun to test President Biden’s toughness, to see if he will stand up about Jerusalem as the indivisible capital of Israel, as did his predecessor, President Donald Trump.
Indeed, following Secretary of State Blinken’s recent announcement that the US embassy will remain in Jerusalem, the Palestinians’ expectations will likely be met with disappointment.
But what is alarming is that the rhetoric of excluding others is intensifying on the official Palestinian channels, as if Jerusalem’s history began in the seventh century, after the Arab-Islamic invasion.
It is no coincidence that the former Palestinian Minister of Endowments, Yusef Jumah Salameh, recently published an article entitled “Al-Aqsa Mosque is an Islamic Mosque until Judgment Day,” thus confirming the Palestinian denial of any Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
In fact, this denial was one of the most important reasons for Israel ending its recognition of Arafat as a peace partner after the failure of Camp David negotiations during the Clinton administration in 2000.
The Palestinian official added that “the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque has a divine decision [to remain] as an Islamic site that cannot be rescinded here or there, while non-Muslims have no right to it.” This is further evidence of the Palestinian denial of any Jewish connection to the city itself.
By emphasizing that “Jerusalem will remain with an Islamic face, an Arab history, and a Palestinian identity,” the article reflects the Palestinians’ prejudices regarding coexistence in a city that witnessed also the birthplace of Christianity.
Moreover, the former Palestinian minister published another article, entitled “Mosques and their Status in Islam,” in an attempt to present a different perspective on the reality on the ground.
“The mosques in Palestine are groaning under the yoke of the occupation, and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque is imprisoned and shackled, while these days, the Israeli occupation forces prevent the restoration work in the Dome of the Rock, the Marwani prayer hall, and the Gate of Mercy inside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Salamah falsely claimed in his article, which was published two days ago.
On the other hand, his official Facebook page shows this photo of a magnificent mosaic (see below) with the caption, “Part of the restoration work of the Dome of the Rock and the Marwani Mosque in the Al-Aqsa Mosque this morning.”
The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is appropriate here to reveal what some see as an intentionally falsification of the facts, or as symptomatic of collective schizophrenia among some Palestinians.
The former Palestinian minister, who is currently the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s principal preacher and first vice president of the Supreme Islamic Authority, urged the intervention of international organizations, which are frequently used by the Palestinians to defame the Jewish state.
He concluded by also calling upon Arab and Muslim countries to intervene in order to “protect all mosques and sanctuaries in Palestine, foremost Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is subjected to repeated attacks and continuous Judaization attempts.”
It is well known that grotesque exaggeration and the use of slander have become omnipresent in the prevailing discourse among some Palestinians, who seek to conceal the religious nature of their alleged national aspirations. However, it’s the writer’s responsibility to illustrate this through hard evidence.
While researching current accusations against Israel made by Muslim clerics in Jerusalem, the writer came across an aerial photo of the Ali Mosque in Herzliya on the Mediterranean.
This photo was published on the official Israel website “Israel speaks Arabic,” which added that prayers are held regularly in the mosque and the call to prayer is sounded, as in any Muslim country.
It is worth noting that this mosque is one of more than 400 mosques in Israel. It is noted that the number of mosques in Israel has increased five times in the past 25 years, according to the same source.
It is also confirmed that around 300 imams and muezzins are on the official payroll of the Israeli government; meanwhile, Israel provides funds and Korans to Arab schools and many Islamic educational institutions.
Besides teaching the Israeli general curriculum, these schools also teach Islamic studies and Arabic.
The question here is how many synagogues and churches were built in Islamic countries in the last 25 years.
Sheikh Yusuf Jumaa Salamah deliberately omitted that a few months ago, Turkey converted the Hagia Sophia Cathedral — for nearly a millennium the principal Eastern Orthodox church in the world — into a mosque, and the former preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ekrima Sabri, recently led prayers there in the presence of Turkish President Erdogan.
While some Muslims attack churches in Turkey, Palestinians want their fake accusations against Israel believed without any discussion. Ekrima Sabri’s decision to pray in Hagia Sophia represents flagrant Palestinian aggression against Christianity in general and the Orthodox Church in particular.
Finally, could this latest hardening of the Palestinian official discourse be following the newly harsh Iranian rhetoric and ISIS’s recent resurgence in Iraq, while Hezbollah and Hamas prepare their missiles against Israel after feeling the softness of the new US administration?
The next few weeks and months will most definitely reveal more.
Samir A. Zedan is a former Senior Counter-Terrorism Analyst at the US Department of State, and a former Development Outreach and Communication Specialist at USAID/Iraq. He has contributed to hundreds of articles published in major media outlets with assignments in the Palestinian Areas, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Europe.
SJ says
The author is Palestinian but objective & unbiased. How did Mr. Spencer find such a unicorn? And why so late?
SJ says
Just to be clear, I mean he’s of Palestinian descent. I do know that he’s a patriot.
Samir A. Zedan says
Thanks for your comment here. Nonetheless, let me clarify that I am an Aramaic, not a Palestinian. Islam is intrinsic to the Palestinian identity. In essence, Christians who accept that term as part of their identity accept to be second-class citizens (or as Islam refers to them Thimmis). I was born free and intend to die as such.
Artist says
the problem is that ” palestine” is a mythical place, and that ” palestinians” are a mythical people. Without acknowledging that reality first, everything thing that proceeds is unreality.
SJ says
Thanks for your response! I had wrongly assumed your religious identity, as I’m acquainted with someone with the same last name, who’s a Muslim. I guess his ancestors might’ve been forcefully converted to Islam.
gravenimage says
Thank you, Samir!
Always appreciate your articles here.
Raed Ramoni says
The ability to understand and read between the lines of what Jihadists in general think will always remain an outstanding characteristic of Jihad Watch. Definitely, this writing is the work of experts who master several languages and possess undisputed knowledge. Catching this schizophrenia of the paintings of the mosque is the result of geniuses who work diligently and more importantly with strong conviction. Now more than ever we need the truth to be exposed.
Walter Sieruk says
If the PA is interested the “toughness” of Joe Biden then they have already discovered ,to their joy, that President pretender Biden had no toughness ,at all For old Joe is weak in mind and body and he will easily cave in to the pressures an of the forces of Islam and will quickly make every effort to appease Muslim lobby groups in American and the demands of of the PA and goals of the Islamic tyrannical regime of Iran.
In addition .Joe Biden in his inauguration day speech, he declared this is ”A day of history and hope” The first part of what he said is very true. For in the future, the history books will provide the information that the inauguration day of Biden was the symbolic start of demise of America from a great world power into a powerless third -world nation , to the delight of those in power in that “mullah regime” of Iran.
As for Biden, later part of his statement about his inauguration day being a day of “hope” It’s “A day of hope” by that meaning a day of false hope for the Americans who are actually so naïve and uninformed about the real character and mindset and agenda of Biden
In contrast, it’s a day of true genuine hope for the PA, as well as mullahs of others in power in the Islamic tyranny of Iran. It’s also a day of hope of the terrorists jihadist chiefs of ISIS and al Qaeda.
Likewise, it is also a actual well-founded day of hope of the Communist heads on Red China. In addition it’s a bona fide day of hope for the violent, vicious subversive hooligans in the USA who makeup Antifa and BLM with their insidious Red/Green alliance.
Walter Sieruk says
Bogus American President being ant- Israel and pro–Islam will, indeed, go back to the idea and policy of his former boss of dividing Jerusalem and the other areas and parts of Israel into a “two state solution.”
Which in reality is no real solution at all but formula for calamity.
Furthermore all so inconstant old Joe that goes to a Church and say he’s a Christian, yet saying those empty words of Christian faith mean nothing, as in the case of Biden.
As for dividing the State of Israel in to separate parts is what is called the “two- states “
This idea of dividing the Jewish land of the State of Israel in two is a blatant contradiction to the wisdom of the teaching of Jesus .Who declared, “If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom will not stand.” Mark 3:24. [K.J.V.]
Therefore, Biden willingly disregarding what Jesus taught apparently reveals that Biden doesn’t really respect Jesus and His teaching.
Even worse, there may even be demonic influence of President Pretender Biden .As in in feeble- minded limited thinking ability could easily be controlled by outside evil spirit entity.
The reason this might be so is because the dividing the land concept favored by Biden is the same notion put into action by the coming arch- villain predicted in the Bible who is called the Anti- Christ.
For Bible inform its reader that one thing the coming Ant-Christ will do concerning Israel is that he “Shall divide the land…”
President imposter Joe Biden is not really the coming anti-Christ but his demonic idea dividing the land of Israel is the same and the thought then action of the coming deceptive cunning fiend the anti-Christ, who is also called “the son of perdition.” Second Thessalonians 2:3.
mortimer says
There is no historical basis for a Muslim presence on Temple Mount because Temple Mount is not a holy site in Islam. Caliph Abd al Malik created the shrine on Temple Mount in order to mock and discourage Christianity and for no other discernible reason. He may have wished to encourage Muslims to do their Hajj in Jerusalem, but nothing like that has been written down. The idea that Mohammed visited a ‘mosque’ on the Temple Mount is inherently absurd because no mosque was built there until decades later. The Muslim buildings on Temple Mount could theoretically be moved to other locations because they are not intrinsically connected to the site in the way that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (self-descriptive) is connected to that exact location.
Fr. John Claypool says
I doubt that Biden will come through for the Palestinian people. My concern is with the well-being of Palestinian Christians. Excellent article by Zedan.
gravenimage says
Will Biden increase Palestinian rigidity, pushing them even further into the abyss?
……………
He sure as heck won’t help matters…